New York Governor Kathy Hochul has signed into law a landmark piece of legislation that will lower class sizes in every grade in New York City over the next six years. By the fall of 2028, Brooklyn Tech will be legally mandated to have no more than 25 students per classroom, making the current freshman class the first to experience this change.
For decades New York City parents and teachers have advocated for reduced class sizes in public schools. Numerous studies have reported that larger educator to student ratios allow for more tailored instruction and are correlated with higher student engagement and achievement. In the United States, the average high school class size is 21, and the New York State average is even lower at 19.6. In contrast, the most recent New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) analysis reported an average high school class size of nearly 26. Brooklyn Tech is a striking outlier even among NYC’s large classes, with the majority of classrooms hitting the upper limit of 34 students.
Despite the momentousness of this change, not many Tech students are aware this is coming. In a live poll The Survey conducted, less than 45% of 50 Tech students said they have heard about this law…